Beginning of the End
by Sephiroth Owa13
Summary: Sephiroth, Zack, and Cloud are sent to Nibelheim to investigate an old mako reactor that is malfunctioning and producing brutal monsters. During the mission, Sephiroth is dealing with the loss of friends and is disturbed by the thoughts that arise from the events surrounding their deaths, and finds himself questioning his own origins. A re-post of my old fic that is being revamped.
1. Conflicted

**Disclaimer:** Since I believe that only one of these is needed, in particular, one at the start of a fic, this will be the one and only disclaimer for _Beginning of the End_. I do not own, nor do I profit off the _Final Fantasy VII Compilation_ or its characters. I am doing this solely for my own amusement and for the amusement of others who happen to enjoy my writing.

**Full summary: **Sephiroth, Zack, and Cloud are sent to Nibelheim to investigate an old mako reactor that is malfunctioning and producing brutal monsters. During the mission, Sephiroth is dealing with the loss of friends and is disturbed by the thoughts that arise from the events surrounding their deaths, and finds himself questioning his own origins. His perturbed state only deepens when a voice begins to speak to him. Adding to these conflicting thoughts, is a connection he feels toward a young Tifa Lockhart. As he begins to fall into the darkness, can Tifa and Zack convince Sephiroth of his humanity, despite the shocking revaluations about his birth?

**Author's Note:** First off, if any old readers of BotE are reading this, thinking I'm updating this again, I'm not. I'm merely reposting it with quick and dirty edits so that the story is back out there for people who enjoyed it. However, please aware that I am removing certain parts and cutting the fat in other places. Also, I do not want any crit reviews on this. I know there's mistakes in this but I'm leaving BotE as is unless a huge mistake slipped in. The main reason I don't want any crit reviews on this is because BotE is nearly two years old (if not older), and my writing style has changed since then. So all anyone would be doing is pointing out things I already know or that I no longer do. Now, with the edits I've done BotE does contain a hint of my new style mixed in with my old one. So if you leave a crit review it will be ignored. And no, I don't think my writing is perfect, or anything like that. Heck, if I was _that_ good I'd be published! However, for new works I'll more than welcome them.

Secondly, I want to let any readers know that once all the chapters are back up I won't be posting anymore until I come to this part in a new fanfic that I'm currently working on. So in a sense it has been discontinued but not because a reworked version of _Beginning of the End_ can be found in _Human Strengths and Weaknesses_.

Last but not lest, I hope that any fans of BotE are happy it's back, even if this version won't be completed. I do hope that this will hold you guys over and prove to anyone that I haven't given up on writing and that I do plan on finishing this. I won't go into anything personal, but over the past few years I've been through a lot of drama and it's effected my ability to actually write. Working on the new fic hasn't been easy. It's hard getting back in the saddle after the hits I've taken, but I'm trying, damn it! I won't give up! This is one hobby that I refuse to simply let die.

So without further ado, my dears, enjoy.

* * *

**Beginning of the End**

_Written by: Sephiroth Owa13_

_Proofread by: Nyxitic Eclipse and Carrie88_

**Chapter One**

"Conflicted"

* * *

Sephiroth sat in silence, listening to the sounds around him. Rain pounded harshly against the truck's frame as it made its way through the downpour; windshield wipers squeaked against the wet glass; the low rumble of thunder from a lightning strike off in the distance; Zack's grunting—

Wait, what?

Confused, Sephiroth turned toward Zack and saw that he was busy doing squats. A barely visible, sad smile came to Sephiroth's face as he watched. Zack reminded him of Angeal in some ways. It was not the way he changed his hair, to match his mentor's likeness after Angeal died, but it was the way Zack had changed after his death, trying to live true to his mentor's beliefs. Zack had even took up Angeal's personal quote and used it to inspire others, just as Angeal had, with so many others. The effect that Angeal's death had on Zack was profoundly clear to anyone, because it was Zack who killed Angeal earlier that year. However, Sephiroth did not—would not—place the blame on Zack.

Angeal had lost hope when he learned that he was a product of an experiment. Shortly after, a single angelic white wing, with a second smaller wing underneath it, spouted from his right shoulder. This wing caused Angeal nothing but despair, leading him to tarnish his _honor_ and briefly lose sight of his _dreams_. After all, the wing was nothing more than a trait of a monster, as he saw it. With nothing left and with only one way to regain his honor, Angeal attacked Zack at Modeoheim, forcing his friend and pupil, to end his life. As he died, Angeal had entrusted Zack with his beloved Buster Sword, passing on his dreams and honor to Zack.

Sephiroth shifted his gaze from Zack to the floor of the truck bed and thought of his friends, Angeal and Genesis, and the reasons they had for leaving Shin-Ra.

Genesis was first to leave. He had learned that he and Angeal were both products of a genetic experiment after an incident in the company's training room. _"Born as monsters,"_ were Genesis' words in Banora, shortly after a large black wing emerged from his left shoulder. Over time, it became more matted as his degeneration worsened. Genesis, like Angeal, shared the same view that the wings were a true sign of a monster.

In the end, both men turned against those that were responsible for making them monsters. This put Sephiroth in a difficult position because The Shin-Ra Electric Power Company was responsible for such sins. He was forced to either fight against his friends, or do nothing and allow them to have their revenge. However, he couldn't just sit back and watch. Sephiroth wanted to help them, but he didn't know how to. As time passed, he became conflicted between the duty he felt for the company that had raised him, and for the bond he shared with the older men. They were the only people he could speak honestly to, and Sephiroth did not want to lose that; he felt helpless when he was unable to help either man.

Now Angeal was dead, and Genesis may have shared the same fate or might be slowly rotting away somewhere. This left Sephiroth with nothing but intense conflict raging within his heart. He'd even begun to entertain the idea of leaving Shin-Ra himself. Despite the fact that Shin-Ra was all he knew, he had been dealt a blow that had woken him up to the real face of The Shin-Ra Company. Shin-Ra's real face was dark and cruel. However, he should have known that from personal experience. But he wanted to believe they were trying to help, despite all the terrible things he suffered through because of Hojo, and the corrupt scientists of Shin-Ra.

As Sephiroth thought about his lost friends, the words of AVALANCHE's leader echoed in his mind. _"What are you fighting for ...?"_ He leaned his head back and thought about that day.

Had she not been as skilled as she was, Sephiroth knew he would have killed her when they fought. However, she managed to block and parry each of his attacks. When they crossed swords again, it became a stand off between them. Then, she asked the question that would end up haunting him: _"What are you fighting for, SOLDIER?"_

He was unable to answer and was left shaken by it. For the first time in his life, he was unable to answer something asked of him. Though it was a brief encounter, the young leader of AVALANCHE had earned his respect and he allowed her to escape. There were few that could block his attacks and leave him speechless.

As he became further engrossed in his thoughts, a youthful smile flashed before his mind's eye as he thought about her words.

_There was that one time, _Sephiroth thought, when he was fifteen that he helped someone who was not part of Shin-Ra. Though in hindsight, he helped her out of selfishness as well. By helping her, Sephiroth knew it would make Hojo suffer, and he wanted to see the look on his face when he learned that it his prized 'specimens' were gone.

However, Sephiroth paid the price for his actions.

Even though Hojo couldn't prove that Sephiroth was the one who helped the girl and her mother escape, Hojo made certain that he suffered. He'd been broken, taken apart, and then put back together again—all for Hojo's enjoyment.

After that event, Sephiroth had the ever-watchful eye of the Turks on him. Not that it mattered. The girl was gone and she was safe. After that, Sephiroth had long since tucked away any memory of her away, almost forgetting about her, and threw himself at any mission Lazard would assign him. Even if the mission required questionable ethics to complete it, he took it. It didn't matter to him. When other SOLDIERs would question their actions, Sephiroth would complete the mission without hesitation. However, there were some nights when his actions came and haunted him.

"Hey, it's sure raining hard. How are you doing, Cloud?"

Sephiroth looked up at Zack when his voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"… I'm all right." Strife leaned forward to rest his head on his hands.

Zack laughed, then patted Strife on his back. "Sorry, man. I wouldn't know." He paused for a moment, did a few squats. "I've never had motion sickness. It's gotta be rough." Then Zack turned toward the other Shin-Ra Infantryman who was sitting near the front of the truck. "Everything okay over there?"

Sephiroth scowled, annoyed with Zack's antics. "Hey, settle down."

Zack laughed then scratched his head in an apologetic manner. "Sorry, sir." The laugh lingered in his voice. "I made a new Materia. I can't wait to use it."

Sephiroth chuckled lightly. He honestly did enjoy Zack's company. His smile had a way of putting him at ease. Though, lately Zack's smile was forced. However, he did have his annoying moments, just like now, he was acting— "... just like a kid." Sephiroth finished the thought aloud.

Feigning insult, his smile dropped to a frown and Zack crossed his arms in front of his chest. "And what is that supposed to mean, Sephiroth?"

"Nothing." Sephiroth shook his head. "... Zack the Puppy." A small grin quirked the corners of his lips upward.

Zack's expression went from angered-embarrassment, to a sad, sweet smile. "I'll never be able to live that down, huh?"

Sephiroth allowed the grin to soften to a smile. "No."

A look of sadness washed over Zack's face. "Angeal was always like that …," he said, mostly to himself and took a seat close to Strife.

There was silence for a while and Sephiroth was trying to clear his head. Suddenly, the truck hit a hard bump that sent Strife flying off his seat.

Zack rushed to his aid. "Whoa, you okay?"

Strife held a hand up, seemingly to stop Zack. "I'm okay." He got up slowly, crouched over, and braced himself, looking as if he was going to throw up. A moment later, Strife sat back in his seat and leaned his head back, letting out a sigh of relief.

Lowering his head, Sephiroth wondered why someone with such a bad case of motion sickness was assigned to this mission in the first place, especially given the amount of travel involved. Then he remembered. Private First Class Cloud Strife was one of the hopeful SOLDIER cadets, but failed one of the SOLDIER screenings. However, he showed promise in combat, so Lazard had assigned Strife to Shinra's Army, Infantry Division, where all the SOLDIER cadets went.

"Sir?"

Strife's voice caused Sephiroth to look at him.

"Are you going to continue the briefing on this mission?"

"… this isn't a typical mission, as you know—"

"Good!"

Sephiroth frowned and closed his eyes; his head was starting to ache. He brought his hand up and rubbed his forehead. "Why do you say that?"

"I wanted to join SOLDIER so I could be a hero … like you. But, I didn't make the cut. So, I sign up whenever there's a big mission. Kind of a way to prove myself."

Sephiroth lowered his hand and opened his eyes to look at Strife. "I thought you wanted a briefing?"

Standing at attention, PFC Strife nodded. "Sir!"

"Our mission is to investigate an old Mako reactor. It's been reported that the crew is missing and that the reactor is malfunctioning, producing brutal monsters. We are to locate the problem and neutralize it before the reactor, or the village is threatened."

"At Nibelheim ... correct?"

A brow rose at the hint of emotion in Strife's voice. "Yes, the Mako Reactor at Nibelheim."

"Nibelheim ... That's where I'm from." Strife became uneasy and began to mess with his helmet.

"Hmm … hometown …" Sephiroth mused aloud, slipping back into his thoughts. _A hometown, I've never had one... _he thought, as a sharp, and sudden pain shot through his head.

_(You're about to be attacked ...)_

Perturbed, Sephiroth looked around for the source of the voice as the pain dulled.

Without warning, the truck crashed and came to a stop. Pushing the origin of the voice aside, Sephiroth rose to his feet and grabbed Masamune, which was propped next to him in the truck.

"Sir—sir's, something strange just crashed into our truck!" the driver informed them.

"And that would be our monster …," Sephiroth said dryly.

Exiting the truck, Sephiroth saw the heavy downpour had turned into a drizzle. Walking to the side of the truck, he saw that it was a dragon type monster.

An eager Zack wasn't too far behind him and let out an excited cry. "You ready for a fight?" he asked, to no one in particular and turned to Sephiroth. "You take it easy, Seph, and let me handle this!"

Partially ignoring Zack, Sephiroth clicked his tongue; the monster was no match for him.

As Zack was about to attack the dragon, Sephiroth rushed past him with blinding speed, Masamune held high, ready to attack. In a swift, smooth action, he brought his blade up and cut across the dragon's side.

The dragon let out a roaring death cry as it fell to the ground.

"Or I'll just watch as you kill it." Zack took his hand off the Buster Sword's hilt.

Turning back to where Zack was still standing, Sephiroth saw Strife just behind Zack, holding his assault rifle. "Remember, Zack: take your enemies down with one hit. Or do you need more training?" Sephiroth asked, walking past him and toward the truck.

"Hey! I was about to do that!"

Strife began to laugh. "So, how does it feel to be one-upped, Zack?" he asked teasingly, holding his sides.

Zack shrugged. "Eh, it happens. Especially with Seph."

"Let's go, " Sephiroth said as he climbed back into the truck. "We haven't reached Nibelheim yet."

As the truck's engine turned over and sputtered to life, Sephiroth resettled himself back into his seat. The rest of the ride went quietly: Strife was nervously playing with his helmet, and Zack was busy trying to call someone on his PHS. Leaning his head back against the wall of the truck, Sephiroth closed his eyes, and drifted back to his thoughts, thinking about the mysterious voice. _What was that voice? Where did it come from? _It left him shaken.

Then his thoughts returned to his friends, both were products from Project G … That meant at one point or another, they must of had experiments performed on them. Sephiroth's anger started to boil thinking about the experiments Hojo kept performing on him. Sure, as he got older they were less frequent. _But what if ... _Sephiroth thought and frowned, rubbing his brow with his thumb and index finger as his headache picked up. _It couldn't be ..._

* * *

"So, Cloud. Are you gonna to visit your family while you're home?" Zack asked jokingly, as he poked Cloud in the ribs, a grin slowly quirking his lips upward. "Gonna visit any old girlfriends?"

Cloud pushed him away and looked at his helmet. "Yes ... no, I don't know."

Irritated, Zack frowned. In a swift movement he took the helmet away and held it over Cloud's head. "Don't give me that shit, Cloud! Are you seriously going to tell me you plan on hiding underneath this damn thing?" He dangled the helmet over Cloud's head. "Don't you think that will make your family sad?"

Clearly not in the mood to explain why, Cloud stood and tried to take the helmet back, but Zack pulled it away and held it higher. Cloud tried to jump for it, and Zack pushed him away.

"Look, I don't know …" Cloud shook his head. "I just— I don't want to talk about this anymore." He went for the helmet again, this time he managed to touch the rim of the helmet with the tips of his fingers and knocked it out of Zack's hand.

Zack and Cloud watched in horror as the helmet went flying toward Sephiroth.

"H—Hey, Sephiroth, watch out!" Zack cried out, trying to warn him.

* * *

Sephiroth tried to place the pieces together: how he grew up in the labs with Hojo was always running tests on him, all the training, the special classes ... but he couldn't. He just ended up with more questions than answers. _Professor Gast … why did you leave?_ If anyone could answer his questions, Professor Gast could, he—

His thoughts were interrupted when something hit him on the chest and bounce off, landing on his lap. Annoyed, he opened his eyes and looked down to see a Shin-Ra Infantry helmet resting on his lap.

Sephiroth clicked his tongue, stood up, and looked at Zack, who was wearing a weak smile. Slowly, he shifted his gaze to Strife. "I believe this is yours, Private …," Sephiroth said in a dry voice, holding the helmet out for him to take.

Swallowing audibly, the PFC took the helmet back and nervously held it in both hands. "Sorry, sir."

Moving past Strife, Zack strolled up to Sephiroth and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I did try to warn you, Seph."

Tensing up, Sephiroth backed away from Zack. "Just settle down. You're both acting like children." From the small window in the panel that separated the cab from the flatbed, Sephiroth saw Nibelheim in the distance. "Besides we're almost there."


	2. An Uneasy Arrival

**Beginning of the End**

_Written by: Sephiroth Owa13_

_Proofread by: Nyxitic Eclipse and Carrie88_

**Chapter Two**

"An Uneasy Arrival"

* * *

Before the truck came to a complete stop, Cloud rushed toward the back, jumped out, and then Sephiroth heard him vomiting.

Zack quickly rushed toward the back of the truck and jumped out to check on Cloud.

The other infantryman had begun to follow them out, but stopped when he looked down. "Dude, that's gross." He turned to Sephiroth. "Sir, be careful when you get out. Cloud made a mess."

Sephiroth stood and moved toward the exit, grabbing Masamune as he walked past it. The rain had finally stopped. The fresh smell of rain filled the air and he could feel the crisp, cool air on his face. However, Sephiroth could also faintly pick up the scent of mako in the air. It was a smell he was used to; mako was part of Midgar. One could not go anywhere in the city without the smell being there as well.

As Sephiroth was about to step off the truck, an arm suddenly blocked his path. Looking to his left, he saw Zack with a serious look on his face.

"Hey, Seph, we didn't mean to piss you off." He moved his arm and leaned against the truck. "Again, sorry if we did. I was only trying to keep Cloud's mind off the ride, you know. To help with his motion sickness."

Sephiroth sighed and nodded. "Don't worry about it," he answered in a tired tone.

Zack tilted his head to the side and looked at his face. "Seph, are you okay?"

Sephiroth saw the concern on his face. He must have looked as tired as he felt and sounded. Between the recent events and his conflicting thoughts, Sephiroth felt worn out. Then there was that voice that came to him out of nowhere. He felt a slight pain in his head as he thought about all of it. "I'm fine, just a little tired," he assured Zack.

Seemingly happy with his answer, Zack leaned forward and then walked over to Cloud who was busy playing with his helmet again.

Sephiroth stopped for a moment to take in the sights of the village. It had a different feel than Midgar had to it. The sky was not as polluted and it had a peaceful atmosphere to it, and despite the danger from a monster coming into the village he could hear the laughter of young children playing off in the distance. However, he could also sense an underlining gloom in Nibelheim.

Must be because of the reactor,Sephiroth thought and moved toward the others, but shortly came to a stop when his eyes came to rest on a large mansion off in the distance. _Why do I feel as if I know that place? This is my first time here, but yet … that place ..._

(_You've__ been__ here before. You just don't remember being here._)

The voice again. Sephirothfrowned and shook his head to try to it clear it, then continued to move toward the others. As he passed them, Sephiroth saw Zack shaking his head, looking disappointed with Cloud who had his helmet on. Continuing past them, he stopped when he saw a young woman approaching them, actively scanning their group. However, when she locked eyes with him for a moment, she turned and ran away.

Hearing a sigh come from behind him, Sephiroth turned and saw Cloud had his head hung low. Odd. Normally one would be happy to be back home. Or so he thought. The closest thing Sephiroth had to a hometown was Midgar, but he never thought of it as home. More as the place he lived. Whenever he returned to Midgar after a long mission he felt nothing special about his return. Curious about the difference he asked: "So, how does it feel? To be home again, after all this time? I don't have a hometown, so I wouldn't know."

Cloud remained silent and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hm ... what 'bout your parents?"

Sephiroth turned toward Zack. "My mother's name is Jenova. She died shortly after I was born. My father ..." His voice trailed off. My father ... what a pathetic excuse for a man,he thought bitterly. One day when he was younger, he asked Hojo about his parents. Foolishly he hoped Hojo would give him more information as Gast had when he was younger. However, he coldly told him that his mother was dead and that his father, not wanting the responsibility of a child, left him with Shin-Ra to raise and ran away.

Just thinking about that sorry excuse of a father made Sephiroth explode into sarcastic laughter. He raised a hand to his head in disbelief. "Why am I talking about this?" he said aloud, the laughter still in his voice. Sephiroth shook his head then shrugged to himself.

"Seph?"

With a quick wave of his hand, as if to erase the sudden display of emotion, Sephiroth recomposed himself, and to regain some measure of leadership, he ordered, "Come on, let's go."

Why did he share that information with Zack when he asked?He hated to talk about himself and hardly ever did. The only people Sephiroth ever shared such personal information with were Angeal, and at times, Genesis. When Zack had asked about his past before, most of the time Sephiroth ignored him or changed the subject. So why now? Then he remembered how easily he shared stories with Zack about Angeal and Genesis.

That was when he understood. Without realizing it, Zack had made his way past most of the walls Sephiroth had built up around himself. And he knew why. It was because of Angeal. Both Zack and he were close to the older SOLDIER. When he died, they both shared stories about their friend, and without knowing it, Angeal's "pup" soon became a good friend.

As he and the others were about to enter the inn, the sound of a soft voice stopped him. "Excuse me, are you one of the SOLDIERS who've come to investigate?"

Curious, Sephiroth turned around to find the source of the voice. A young woman about the age of fifteen or sixteen stood behind him. She had long dark brown hair, dark eyes, and despite the chill in the air, she wore a short blue dress.

Sephiroth could not help but notice her beauty and the intelligence that sparkled in her dark eyes. When he was about to answer her question, Zack walked up to her and began to talk.

"Yeah, my name is Zack Fair. I'm with SOLDIER." He placed his hands on his waist and stood with pride as he finished. "1st Class, mind you! 1st Class!"

The young woman turned toward Zack and tilted her head to the side with a puzzled look on her face. "Huh?"

"What do you mean, "Huh"?" Zack asked sounding somewhat deflated.

The young woman looked around, her eyes only staying for a moment on Sephiroth before they swept over to the infantrymen. "Are there a lot of SOLDIER 1st Classes?"

Zack shook his head. "Nope, SOLDIER 1st Class is a small elite group." Then Zack flashed his trademark grin at the young girl. "Only the best of the best make SOLDIER 1st Class."

"Is that so ...?" The young woman looked unimpressed. "So, it's only the two of you then?"

Sephiroth was slightly amused now. It was rare that Zack failed to impress a young woman with his grin. At least, that's what Zack said.

Zack motioned with his head toward the inn where Sephiroth was standing. "Yeah, it's just me and Sephiroth over there."

The young woman followed Zack's gaze and looked at Sephiroth.

When their eyes met he nodded his head slightly and she smiled at him before she turned away from both of them.

"... I ... I see."

She began to walk away but stopped and turned back toward Zack. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to ask more, instead, she shook her head and took off running.

Zack, who seemed more confused than anything shook is head. "What a weird kid ..."

Once Zack was by his side, Sephiroth asked, "Failed to impress the young woman?"

Zack shrugged. "Like I said, weird kid ..."

"You're losing your touch, Zack"

Zack stretched and grunted when his back popped. "Eh, she's not even my type. Anyway, I have a girl back in Midgar."

Once the two infantrymen were by them, Sephiroth quickly briefed them. "Make sure to go to sleep early. I want us to have an early start. Only one lookout is needed, so the rest of you can get some rest." Sephiroth was about to walk into the inn but stopped when he remembered Cloud. "Oh, that's right ..." He turned toward Cloud. "You have permission to visit your family and friends if you wish."

The young infantryman slowly nodded.

Sephiroth entered the inn and closed the door behind him. From outside he could hear Zack's voice greeting the Turk who'd originally been assigned to the mission. Ignoring the exchange that was taking place on the other side of wooden doors, Sephiroth took in the comfortable feeling the inn had to it. It was so different from what he was accustomed to. Small paintings of landscapes hung on the walls. The tables had flowers placed in white vases that filled the air with a sweet smell. Everything about the small inn gave off a warm, welcoming feeling. Once he was done checking the area, he went up to the counter and rang the bell for the desk clerk.

The curtain behind the desk parted and a woman walked out, followed by a man Sephiroth assumed to be her husband. "Excuse me, I have a reservation for—"

The woman interrupted him with a smile. "Ah, yes, General Sephiroth from the Shin-Ra Company. We have your rooms ready for you. You will find them up the stairs and to the left. I left the doors opened for you." She turned and took a key off one of the hooks behind her and placed it in front of him. "Here is your key for the private room you asked for. It's the one at the end of the hall." She finished with an uncomfortable smile when she locked eyes with Sephiroth.

He politely thanked the woman and went up the stairs. While he was walking to his room, Sephiroth caught a glimpse of the mansion he saw earlier from the long window that was in the hallway. He didn't know much information about it other than the fact that Shin-Ra owned it. However, there was something about it that held his attention and the subtle pain he felt earlier began to throb, an unseen force pushing him toward the mountains. Vexed, Sephiroth closed his eyes, blocked out the feeling, and ignored the buzz in his head.

"What are you looking at?"

Sephiroth opened his eyes and turned to find Zack standing not too far behind him looking out of the same window. "This scenery ... I feel as if I know this place ..."

Zack shrugged and walked toward the room he and the infantrymen would be sleeping in. "Maybe you've been here before?"

Slowly he shook his head, and in an effort to break the spell the mansion held on him, Sephiroth changed the subject. "Remember, we have an early start tomorrow, you should go to sleep soon."

"Yeah." Zack paused, then with concern lacing his voice asked, "Are you sure you're okay, Sephiroth?"

Still vexed about the mansion, Sephiroth slowly nodded, his gaze transfixed on the mansion. "I've been told a guide was hired to lead us to the reactor," he said, trying to pull himself out of the spell the mansion had on him. "I've heard she's young, I hope we can rely on her ..."

With that, Sephiroth finally broke the spell the scenery held on him. He turned toward his room and closed the door. He placed the Masamune against a chair not to far from the bed and placed his coat on the same chair.

Feeling worn out from his thoughts, Sephiroth changed out of his clothes and put on his sweat pants and a white wife beater, then lay down on the bed and tried to quite his mind so he could rest. Despite his best efforts, his mind was racing with questions about Angeal and Genesis, the unseen voice, and the puzzling feeling that overwhelmed him as he looked at that mansion.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Old work is old work even with fresh edits and some of the fat and facepalm worthy stuff gone, but progress is finally being made to revamping this story. I won't lie, there's still some faceplam in here, but eh, not rewriting this until the revamp. However, by the time I have the last chapter re-posted, I hope—_hope—_to have the first chapter to the revamp ready! Again, remember I don't want crit reviews on this or comments about any of the guys being OCC!. It's old work, just putting it back out there for the ones who loved it.


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